Big football moves could cost Lamar

Avi Zaleo, Beaumont Enterprise

By Avi Zaleon

Published 8:54 am, Friday, February 22, 2013

Lamar University football team charge the field before the Lamar University football game against McMurry University at Provost Umphrey Stadium on Saturday, October 13, 2012.
Photo taken:
Randy Edwards/The Enterprise

If the Big 12 follows the Big Ten in dropping Football Championship Subdivision opponents, Lamar University could stand to lose "Big Money."

Earlier this month, the Big Ten Conference announced it would no longer schedule FCS schools, like Lamar, during non-conference play.

So far, the Big Ten is the only BCS conference to adopt this policy, but if more do, FCS programs could be out hundreds of thousands of dollars.

According to contracts, Lamar plays:

- at Oklahoma State (a Big 12 school) on Sept. 14 and receives at least $350,000.

- at Texas A&M (Big 12) on Aug. 30, 2014, and makes $325,000.

- at Baylor (Big 12) on Sept. 12, 2015, and makes $400,000.

The total amounts to $1,075,000 for those games alone.

Conference realignment already has put a monkey wrench in Lamar's scheduling for next season.

Lamar and Georgia State had a contract from 2009 to play in Atlanta in 2010 and then in Beaumont this year. However, GSU's move to the Sun Belt Conference this season forced scheduling changes that will prevent the game in Beaumont from taking place, GSU sports communications director Allison George said.

According to the original agreement, either school failing to comply with the scheduled games will pay the other school $100,000 within 30 days.

George said that because GSU canceled, they would pay the cancellation fee.

When asked if Lamar would be receiving the $100,000, Lamar AD Jason Henderson said, "we're still working out the little details right now."